The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
,fnl Criminals and the Care of Children

Youthful Criminals and the Care of Children
To the Editor OF the Indianapolis journal
In article written for the November Har-
per, by Rev. c. F. Thwing, anent young crimi-
nails, are some well-considered thoughts, calcu-
lated to set to thinking all who are interested ~
young people-either from a philosophic
phllanthropic view point. It is there shown
that criminal practices are developed at
early age. more than ne-haif OF these exam
piles occurring between twenty and twenty-five
years of age. Hence is derived an argument
for the Importance of using early prevention.
Now what causes operative to produce this
result2 a. Heredity doubtless is influential,
tain moral, or immoral traits of ancestors crop
ping out in their progeny. But ''evi conmu-
nications corrupt good manners and the t2)
environments of young people, without dispute,
allure them to vice and crime. Huddling peo-
pie together like cattle is fearfully demoralizinc
Think of 200, 600 human beings living and strug-
Cling upon square mile. as In portions of East
London. (3) Lack of home, or bad homes, is
more promotive than either heredity envi-
ronment of vice and crime among young persons
OF both sexes.
Turning from these causes Of Juvenile deln-
quercy. the writer essays the more difficult
part of the subject-an effective remedy
Fifty years the Jail was the universal and
only remedy. Young offenders promIscu-
ously herded with old and hardened criminals,
thus assuring the swift and certain leavening of
the whole lump into the base quality of the
worst specimen within the prison walls. But
latterly the reform school has taken the place OF
incarceration. Some seventy of these schools
are now in operation. containing nine thousand
boys and girls. And yet these reformatories
have some of them a bad feature-that namely.
of cougregating the inmates together, es in the
Jail system. A boy in one of these schools asked
an official examiner. Why boys were sent there,
and on being told to make them better, said
that it only made them worse; for the boys
learned OF each other all the bad traits and
tricks which were known or owned by
the worst of the inmates; that since
he came there he had learned what he did not
know before--.'how to pick pockets snop-lift,
OPEN lock, sneak-thief, put up job In bur
glary and to know fences" places where to
dispose of stolen goods.
Dr. Thwing shows that. to improve these
form schools and secure from them the best re-
suits graduated plan, called the family sys-
tenn. is highly desirable, indeed, Indispensable
There may be five or six grades putting those
together in family OF ten or twelve boys
girls, thus enabling the managers, by a skillful
selection of temperaments and dispositions,
which shall healthily react on each other, to
segregate those who suffer from similar deficien-
cies; and to group such natures present we'll
organized habits so as to become exempars to
those lacking such habits thus artifcally organ
izing environment wherein convicts them
selves shall become instruments for each others
regeneration.
Now to these excellent suggestions 1 would
add that to keep tho boys and girls
cupleQ Is o. tue greatest importance
The occupation of the newsboy and the
boot-black is not of unremitting
toll. The busiest of them have long
periods of intermittent leisure. And. moreover,
this leisure may, by the boys own motion, be
at frequent intervals indefinitely prolonged.
And even where the boys registered and
licensed it is often practicable for a smart and
INSCRIPTIONS boy to impose upon unsuspicious
people with box swung his
shoulder or package of papers under
his arm So we not conclude either
that to train boy in of these callings is to
rescue him utterly from vice and crime, or that
even entering him in a reformatory or home, I'M
less the family, rather than the coneregate svs-
tenn is established therein, is absolutely to better
his condition. To work towards such humane
and discriminating system. and, TO get and keep
the beneficiaries occupied, and, sphere
and capabilities increase, to furnish homes in
the country for needy boys and girls. shall be
the policy of the present management of the
Youths Home and Employment Association.
and upon this basis socisa the interest and
aims of the good people of our+far city.
Jos. s. JEScKEs, JR.